Nature Notes

Heavy rains and driving winds are a feature of the weather around the village and with the diminishing daylight hours, the prospect of walking the now muddy footpaths is rather forbidding.

Autumnal winds tend to rip the last tenaceous leaves from the deciduous trees. These are a valuable nutrient for many woodland species and leaf litter is an essential part of the soil breakdown and quality.

Wild mushrooms are late but in profusion now having held off during the lack of rain. Large swathes of Botetus Edulis and Blue legs along with Slippery Jack cover the cemetery verges and I have even found a few field mushrooms and brown Chanterelles around Moreton Morrell.

The mild spell continues and hibernation has been delayed for Hedgehogs, Bats and Mice which are all still active.

Bees and Wasps will also respond to sunny spells as there are still nectar-bearing flowers, often sprouting for a second time - Cow Parsley flowers are growing on the dead spring stems, for example.

I have been constructing "Bug Hotels" with the students as part of a conservation project. These are habitats that can be used as safe havens for a variety of invertibrates and mammals using recycled materials and which compensate for our increasingly tidy enviroment. They do in fact sell them at some garden centres but the inventive variety of home-made versions is more interesting.

My most exciting sightings have been a Barn Owl flying by day around the Barn at Chadshunt and a Merlin (a small falcon) perched in some Poplars near Lodge Farm. Both these species are rarely seen in Warwickshire, though Barn owls have always been around Gaydon and are often heard at night.

One of the more unwelcome species to the "Bug Hotels" has been the large Harlequin Ladybird. This is brighter and larger than our native Ladybird and has a black diamond pattern of spots. They have come to the UK in imported plants and unfortunately prefer to eat our native species of beetles rather than than aphids.

Look out also for ducks and geese that have migrated here from Northern Europe; also Fieldfares and redwings flocking on the Hawthorn berries; and the dry rattling call of the Mistlethrush. This bird changes its diet from insects to berries in the winter months - you might call it a vegetarian of seasonal convenience. Bernard Price

Village Hall News

New radiators were fitted in the Hall during November and several villagers have already commented on much warmer it is now.

Stamps

Please do not throw away all those stamps you get! Just pop them in my letterbox and I will pass them on to Oxfam. With renewed thanks to those who already collect for me, Joan Hare, Kynett, Church Lane, Gaydon.

Over Sixties' Christmas Lunch

Village Hall on Sunday 13 December at 12.45 for 1pm

Village Fête 2010

Various people have expressed an interest in running a village fête in 2010. There has been a fête at various stages over the years in Gaydon. Most recently there was a fête for nearly ten years in either the Gaydon Inn Field or Church Meadow.

Over the years we have run all sorts of different events including a tug of war, a dog show, historical re-enactors, Kineton Quackers (ducks), tractor pull, pony rides, children's entertainers, car boot sale, as well as all the usual stalls, raffles, tombolas, games, bouncy castle, beer tent, barbecue, teas etc.

If anyone is interested in starting a fête again then let's have a meeting! Date proposed is 20 January, at 8.00pm.

For more information or to express interest call Madeleine on 640636.

Mobile Library

The Library will visit Gaydon on Thursday 17th this month.

Friendship Club

We meet this month on Tuesday 15th at 2.30pm at the home of Mrs Josie Liddington in Wellesbourne.

COME AND TRY PILATES - free session 15th December!

Pilates classes continue in the Village Hall on Tuesday evenings.

On 15 December our instructor is away for Christmas, but anyone is welcome to come and join in for nothing on that day just to meet the group and have a go.

The following Tuesday, (22 Dec) we will be having our Christmas meeting in the Malt Shovel(!).

We are a mixed group and anyone is welcome, you can be any age, male or female. There is no age limit - we have had people from fourteen to seventy-five years old in our group.

There is always room for more people: if you are interested please ring Madeleine on 640636.

Parish Council News

Flood Defence Plan

The Parish Council has received a draft legal agreement from the District Council regarding the maintenance of the proposed Banbury Road pipe. We are hoping to receive draft agreements soon for landowners to review.

Play Area

No luck with grants from the District Council. Due to the current economic climate all play area grants have been stopped. We are hoping to apply for a grant from the County Council.

Cemetery

Trees with low hanging branches around the edge of the cemetery will be cut back this winter. Whips will be planted in the gaps in the hedge. Please ensure that plants on graves do not grow higher than the headstones.

Parish Plan

This is going to happen and we are looking at input from all villagers.

A meeting will be held in the new year and ideally we would like a rep-resentative from every street, every age group, every group (i.e. allotments, play group, PCC, friendship club, village hall committee, GVS, etc.). The more people involved, the more likely we are to produce a parish plan which caters for everyone's needs. The village can not move on without this plan. We have a grant to help us with costs, we just need a little bit of help. If you wish to be involved please contact The Clerk on 641220 or email her. We would be grateful if all village groups could nominate a representative and the Clerk will be in contact early next year.

Footpaths

We are working with the local landowners to try and ensure that footpaths are restored as soon as possible after ploughing and planting. Could everyone please note that a footpath was wrongly marked by one contractor, suggesting that there is a path that goes from the rear of St Marks Close right down to the big pond on Ireland Farm land. This is not the case. The landowner has put up a sign to indicate where his (private!) property starts and we would ask all villagers to respect this.

It is also a timely opportunity to remind everyone that they should stick to the footpaths and keep their dogs under control and clear up after them if they foul the paths. Footpath maps can be seen on the Gaydon website - www.gaydon.org.uk.

The Parish Council would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Father Christmas had a Ball!

The St Giles Gift Day was a great success. About £1800 was contributed to help maintain the church so that it can continue to stay open for the village. A huge 'thank you' to all who so generously gave their time, skills and money. Father Christmas had such a good time that we might be able to ask him to come again next year!

The Vicar's Letter

This Advent, as a way of preparing for Christmas, there is an Advent book group, people meeting from across the parishes to read Paula Gooder's 'The Meaning is in the Waiting'. Paula explores how Abraham and Sarah, the prophets, John the Baptist and Mary each experienced that waiting for God in their lives which we could do well to explore and ponder in our own lives today.

We live in such a 'I want it NOW' society that any sense of having to wait is often met with frustration or disappointment. However, a sense of expectancy rather than urgency can be fulfilling and liberating! Living in the now, the present moment, rather than longing for some future experience could be a change of focus that would benefit many of us and enrich our lives. As RS Thomas wrote:

Kneeling

Moments of great calm,

Kneeling before an altar

Of wood in a stone church

In summer, waiting for the God

To speak; the air a staircase

For silence; the sun'«s light

Ringing me, as though I acted

A great rôle. And the audiences

Still; all that close throng

Of spirits waiting, as I,

For the message.

Prompt me, God;

But not yet. When I speak,

Though it be you who speak

Through me, something is lost.

The meaning is in the waiting.

Poppy Appeal

The annual Poppy Appeal by the Royal British Legion raised £1249 in Gaydon which is a remarkable amount and the largest ever. Very many thanks to all who gave so generously and all who worked as volunteers to achieve this result.

Christmas time is here!

Once you have wrapped the presents and left out the sherry for Santa, why not have a Christmas eve drink or meal with us!

Christmas Day

This year we're open for Lunch on Christmas Day - - reservation only - so book early to avoid disappointment

We are also open as usual for Christmas Drinks 12 -- 3pm

Boxing Day

The Gaydon Inn will be open all day for food and drinks!

Sunday 27th December

Christmas Quiz - Starts at 7.30pm, ££2.50 per person, maximum teams of four, which includes a cheese supper

New years Eve

Cowboy and Saloon Girls fancy Dress - it should be one to remember!

New Years Day

The Gaydon Inn will be open 12 -- 5pm for food and all day for drinks!

Message from the Editor

Emails to the Magazine

The Editor has been receiving emailed Word Documents in xml format which her computer cannot interpret. Please would contributors send their articles as .doc or plain text rather than docx - many thanks!

Message from Marg

Marg White, formerly of Gaydon, says how much she enjoys catching up with our news each month; and that she has particularly liked the photos of our local churches that have appeared on the cover of the magazine this year.

Village Store News

We may have lost the banner on the barn in the strong winds recently, but progress with the project continues. We have applied to both Stratford on Avon District Council and Warwick County Council for funding and we should hear the outcome of our applications in the New Year.

The lease agreement with Enterprise Inns, to allow us to use the barn, is almost finalised and this means that we can start using what money we have raised so far to commence refurbishment works.

We have updated our website www.gaydonvillagestore.co.uk and you can now send us your ideas and suggestions via the website.

We are planning our next fund-raising night in January 2010 so keep an eye out for posters in the New Year.

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Here's to 2010 - the year when Gaydon sees the return of its village shop!

Dog Fouling

A resident of St Giles Road has written to the magazine drawing attention to a dog-walker who allows a small dog to foul the pavement outside her house. Our correspondent is so angry about it that she is considering installing a CCTV camera to catch the offending dog on film. Please do clear up after your dog or do not walk it on footpaths in front of people's houses. Surely everyone is aware by now that dog-fouling is unacceptable and causes great ill-feeling!

Church Meadow

On the same topic, we would like to remind dog-owners that the field behind Church Lane is a private field and dogs should be on a lead. They should be kept on the public footpath which is clearly marked and not allowed to run and mess in the grass. If your dog poos on the path you should clear up after it so that others can enjoy a clean and pleasant walk.